Submersible pumping systems are often deployed into wells to recover hydrocarbons from subterranean reservoirs. Typically, a submersible pumping system includes a number of components, including an electric motor coupled to one or more pump assemblies. Production tubing is connected to the pump assemblies to deliver the hydrocarbons from the subterranean reservoir to a storage facility on the surface. Each of the components in a submersible pumping system must be engineered to withstand the inhospitable downhole environment.
The efficient recovery of hydrocarbons from wells depends on maintaining clean formations, casing perforations, lines and pumping equipment. Unfortunately, many oil wells produce fluids that contain large amounts of sold particles, or “slag,” that are detrimental to downhole pumping components. Metallic slag often takes the form of iron sulfide particles of various sizes (0.0005″ to 0.060″ diameter) that are very hard (6-6.5 Mohs Scale). These and other particles tend to accelerate wear on downhole components as the solid particles are carried through the downhole pumping system with the produced fluid.
It is therefore desirable to prevent solid particles from contacting expensive components within the downhole pumping system. Despite the recognition of these problems, prior art attempts to protect downhole components from solid particles have proven ineffective or otherwise undesirable. It is to these and other deficiencies in the prior art that the present invention is directed.